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Regional Finals PREVIEW: Celina baseball looks to take down Spring Hill
As the Texas high school baseball playoffs continue to narrow down, plenty of Dallas-Fort Worth area teams continue to put in the work that it takes to fight toward the biggest baseball stage in the state. One team still fighting for their chance at a state title is Celina (31-3-1, 12-0). With a give-it-your-all mentality, the Bobcats are ready to continue taking down anyone who stands in their way. VYPE DFW takes a look at their season so far and lays out just what fans can expect in this week's matchup with Longview Spring Hill.
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A Look Back
Celina has been known for playing great baseball. Last season, they posted an undefeated district record and went into playoffs with the mindset that they could accomplish anything they put their minds to. After being knocked out of playoffs, the team didn't hesitate to regroup and prepare not only to get back to the playoffs, but to go further. As the team opened their season, the Bobcats posted what would be their only three losses so far season during preseason play.
In district play, the Bobcats defeated the likes of Sanger, Aubrey, Anna, Melissa, and more in order to post another undefeated district record (12-0) finishing at the top of their district. The team has been able to play incredible defense this season while holding their opponents to a combined 63 runs. Not only has their defense played smart on the field, but each batter has taken the opportunity to make every plate appearance matter.
Playoffs
So far in playoffs, Celina has ended the seasons of Irving Ranchview (12-0, 4-1), Life Waxahachie (8-3, 4-0), Van Alstyne (5-0, 5-0), and Texarkana Liberty-Eylau (4-2, 4-1). With impactful hitting and fielding that has been nearly unmatched, the Bobcats have outscored their opponents 46-7 in playoffs. There's no doubt that the team has what it takes to continue fighting to the finish.
Celina enters the Regional Finals on a 27 game win streak.
What To Expect
Longview Spring Hill (33-3, 11-1) has the potential to be one of the toughest teams that Celina has faced all season. Also finishing at the top of their district with a 92% winning percentage, the Panthers are no stranger to playing good baseball. In playoffs, Spring Hill has battled to take down Pittsburg, Garmersville, Kilgore, and Melissa en route to the Regional Finals.
Fans can expect Celina to play top-notch defense in the series against Spring Hill. Being able to read the bats of their opposing team has been a strength that the Bobcats have capitalized off of all season. Expect bats to be hot for both sides with smart placement from the Celina lineup.
Game one is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1st at North Forney High School.
Bi-District Preview: Prosper vs. Hebron baseball
Texas high school baseball playoffs are well underway. With Dallas Fort Worth teams well represented, high school baseball fans around the metroplex are bound to have a lot of fun watching some of the state's top athletes competing for their chance to play on the biggest stage in high school baseball. Two teams ready to face off in the bi-district round are Prosper and Hebron- VYPE DFW takes a dive into what fans can expect headed into this physical matchup!
Prosper Eagles (20-9)
Last season, Prosper made a deep playoff run before being booted by Coppell in two games. With the exit from playoffs, it's clear that Prosper used the experience to come back even stronger into the off-season and into the new year. The team started this season with strong victories as they took down various opponents during preseason play. Once in district play, the Eagles put their skills to work as they took down the likes of Denton Guyer, McKinney, Lucas Lovejoy, Allen, and more in order to finish as the number one team in their district.
Despite dropping their last regular-season game to Allen (4-3), the team has proven that they have the resiliency to bounce back after a loss. With a taste of greatness still lingering from last season, the Eagles are as determined as ever to shut down anyone who stands in their way of making it to the state championships. So far this season, the Eagles have outscored their opponents by a combined 28 runs, but more impressive than that is the way Prosper's defense communicates and bands together to make plays happen.
Hebron Hawks (13-16-1)
Hebron is on a mission this season after being stopped in the first round of playoffs by Prosper last season. The team has fought game after game with the determination to make it to playoffs and they don't intend to be shut down in the first round again. Known for fighting hard against strong teams in previous seasons, the Hawks have been able to channel that energy into forcing a playoff appearance this season.
Hebron has finished their regular season with the goal of taking things one game at a time. With this mentality, they could be a dark horse in the playoffs this season.
What To Expect:
Good old fashioned baseball. Both of these teams are known to play smart from the plate and get hits in when absolutely necessary. The win is going to come down to how the defenses communicate with each other when on the field. Fans can expect Hebron to put up a tough fight in this redemption round, but Prosper has shown time and time again that they are ready to walk the walk. This series is going to be one to watch!
The first game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 5th at Carrollton Newman Smith's Kelly Field. Game two is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday at the same venue. If the third game is necessary, the teams will face off on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the same venue.